Pause and think

By The NewsDay | Dec. 15, 2012 | 3 Min read

A fortnight from now we shall be saying goodbye to 2012 and hallo to 2013. Everyone has her/his own take of this year. For some it has been the worst year ever and can’t wait to enter 2013 hoping it will offer better fortunes. For others 2012 has been so good that they wish the year could be extended. Whichever way events unfolded in your life, we thank God for life in 2012 and trust Him for life in its fullness in 2013. At the beginning of this year you had resolutions, agendas, targets or mere wishes. Some had so much zeal, hope and faith at the beginning of the year which was soon eroded by disappointments. However, others kept the faith.

Sermon of the week with Erasmus Makarimayi

Today I am calling you to reflect on 2012 and pause and think as you look at your list. How many things on that list did you accomplish and how many are still pending? How many things did you achieve or acquire that were not on your 2012 list? We want to interrogate some truths and confront ourselves. Sometimes we don’t want to take responsibility for our lives and leave things to chance. Within the Christian community, some people hide behind the veil of spirituality and disengage their minds. Be challenged by the words of Galileo Galilei: “I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.”

Being a Christian does not mean you don’t have a mind. Apostle Paul talks of engaging the mind and Romans 12:2 reads, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Your mind is necessary in your Christian walk. Before you make other resolutions for 2013, examine this year’s resolutions. Some of you have already finished your prayer and fasting for 2013 or you are in the middle of it. Others believe in praying and fasting 10, 21, 40, 50 days or more at the beginning of the year. Whatever your custom is, pause and think. Paul asks you to look at yourself and 2 Corinthians 13:5a reads, “Examine yourselves.” Don’t run to a dead end.

Human beings are good at blaming God, Satan and others for their failures. Today we want to check if the fault is not in us. Let us say you had 10 things you wanted God to do for you this year and five are still pending and five were fulfilled and above that, five things you never asked God to do, He did it anyway. What is certain is that God hears and answers prayers. Do a study of your list once again so that you don’t make mistakes in 2013. Examine the nature of the things God gave you. There are many explanations as to why you didn’t get the rest of the things. Consider the following. The Bible suggests you might have asked for unnecessary things that are not in the will of God. James 4:3 says, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” What was the driving force for your wish list? Did you have faith for what you didn’t accomplish? Are you responsible enough to receive all the desires of your heart? As you usually like to say, is it the devil that is blocking you? At the proper and fullness of time, God will fulfill all things.

Sometimes we are so busy pursuing desires and trying to meet targets that we never pay attention to our lives. As you close 2012 and open 2013, be encouraged by the words of George Eliot: “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” In the few days left in this year, God can do more than what He has already done in your entire life. He is not limited by time. Be honest with yourself and accept your mistakes and seek corrections. When an old road has been closed, look for the new one. If you have to temporarily use a detour then let it be so. Don’t wait for someone to come and scrutinise you, do it yourself. You are going somewhere.